Song of the Day 2/10: Todd Rundgren, “Dust in the Wind”
First off, no, this isn't the Kansas tune. It predates it by six years. Fifty years ago this month, then 23-year-old Todd Rundgren released what's widely regarded as his magnum…
Song of the Day 2/9: Fountains of Wayne, “Amity Gardens”
There are lots of songs about real places, but I don't know of any song that celebrates a real place more obscure than Amity Gardens, Pa. That's what you'd expect…
Song of the Day 2/8: Glen Campbell, “Just Another Piece of Paper”
The National Archives had to send -- who? A-men? -- to Mar a Lago to fetch Trump's love letters from Kim Jong-un which, as the linked story dryly notes, "did…
Song of the Day 2/7: The Beach Boys, “Sloop John B”
Seems like a good time for a vacation in the Bahamas, doesn't it? Drunken first mate, cook with the fits, even, in the original version, a captain with a greedy…
Song of the Day 2/6: Urge Overkill, “Positive Bleeding”
I keep rediscovering bands from the '90s, the last decade when there were so many you might miss a few. Until I heard this tune on a throwback radio show…
Song of the Day 2/5: Mason Williams, “Classical Gas”
Once upon a time it wasn't uncommon for instrumental tracks to become massive hits. One of the biggest came from one of the most unconventional people to ever create one.…
Song of the Day 2/4: Fela Kuti, “Why Black Men Dey Suffer”
Guest post by Nathan Arizona For the second year in a row, the most interesting Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominee is probably the Nigerian Fela Kuti. And once…
Song of the Day 2/3: Aoife O’Donovan, “Passengers”
El Somnambulo did not include anything from Aoife O'Donovan's new album "Age of Apathy" in his January new music roundup, so I'll plug it here. O'Donovan gained attention as frontwoman…
Song of the Day 2/2: Joni Mitchell, “The Circle Game”
Neil Young's protest against Spotify has found sympathy among some of his old friends. Graham Nash and, more significantly, Joni Mitchell have also asked the streaming platform to remove their…
Song of the Day 1/31: Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers, “Pablo Picasso”
Google Maps claims I live an 11-minute walk from the Picasso Museum in the Marais, but if I pace myself to this song it's more like eight minutes. You can…
Song of the Day 1/29: Philip Glass, “Freezing”
Though it's just a trifle amid the long career of minimalist composer Philip Glass, "Songs From Liquid Days" is reportedly among his best-selling albums. For the 1986 album Glass scored…
Song of the Day 1/28: Neil Young, “Hey Hey My My (Into the Black)”
For John Kowalko Neil Young refuses to fade away. He pulled his music off Spotify this week after he gave the service an ultimatum: Either you drop Joe Rogan over…
Song of the Day 1/26: Jane’s Addiction, “Been Caught Stealing”
Yeah, I know, the guy is probably suffering from something worse than PTSD, but how could I resist? Besides, I like the song, even if I think Perry Farrell is…